This vs That, Noodles!

June 7, 2012

Ya’ll want to know how dedicated I am to you and our core challenge? Halfway into bed last night, I realized I had gone for my run, but not done my core work – eek! So just for you, I dropped down and planked for a bit before hopping into bed. Don’t ask me about the alarm clock goal just yet. Its a work in progress…

So.

Over Memorial day weekend, one of my favorite things to eat was the Soba Noodle Salad from Emily over at DailyGarnish (She used red peppers, I opted for cucumbers)

When we got home and were settled, I was curious about the noodles I’d been using, which were simple Soba noodles, made with buckwheat. From what I’ve read, they’re a common street food in Japan and can be served hot or cold (either way, delicious!). Apparently, they are an excellent source of Manganese (not to mention a whole host of other things), which seems to be pretty darn important for keeping your body on an even keel. So they’re delicious and nutritious!

Because pasta salads are so popular over the summer, I thought round 2 of this vs that may be fun, to compare some Soba Buckwheat noodles to some whole wheat spaghetti, using nutritiondata.com through Self magazine. Lets take a gander!

Hmmmmm, aside from the Calorie and Sodium difference, there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot to differentiate the two! Although it could be that the vitamins and minerals are different, I’ll admit, after reading all of the praises about Soba noodles, I was expecting something a little more dramatic!

Happily, there’s no real “bad news” about this comparison! I have a feeling that the soba noodles may have too dense of a flavor to be an effective noodle in a traditional style pasta salad with say Veggies and an Italian Dressing. But for something with a little more of an Asian flare, like my dish from Memorial day weekend or something with a peanut sauce, like I had up in Toronto, I think the Soba noodles would be perfect and are sturdy enough to stand up to such a flavorful sauce!

Come to think of it, now I really want to create that bowl from Fresh!…Hmmmmm